Around 350 individuals were helped by the food bank every week of the year in 2019. Founded by the St Andrew’s Scots Church four years ago, the food bank has helped feed 527 families in the past five weeks alone.
The food bank has seen a 50 per cent increase in the average number of families using its services this year compared to 2018.
Foodbank Lifeline Foundation’s acting chairperson Diana Nye said the average number of families asking for food every week has grown from 59 to 90.
Up until October 18, the food bank had distributed a total of 3,654 food packs, with a value of about €176,000, to people who either ‘walk in’ for the first time or had been referred to the service and were seeking help over the previous weeks.
Ross Yarnold from the food bank said that this figure comes close to estimates presented earlier in June.
The charity had previously reported that if demand for their services remained constant, they would be feeding more than 16,500 people by the end of 2019. The value of food distributed would be nearly €225,000.
These figures show a considerable increase in the number of people using the food bank. The charity buys most of the food that it distributes through its distribution centres while it also relies on donations from the public.
An evening of food distribution
Those using the foodbank range from single people and parents with large families to migrant workers and refugees who have been referred to the service by social workers from organisations like Appoġġ or LEAP.
Each case is processed and volunteers fill the individual’s shopping bags or trolley with the corresponding food-packs.
Times of Malta joined one of the food bank’s distributions to understand what motivates people to use the service at this time of year. It would prove to be one of the busiest evenings to hit the food bank in the run-up to Christmas.
Twenty-five food packs were distributed to individuals and families of around six or seven people. Over 60 people were helped in that one evening alone.
“I feel it is a need to come here, when I am in need. It is not pleasurable coming here but I have to because of my children,” one Maltese mother of four explained.
She said she had previously used the food bank two years ago but her situation now forced her to return.
“I would prefer to be able to provide for my children rather than come here,” she added. “But it’s better to come here and feed my kids than do nothing.”
Another mother explained that she was thankful for what the food bank had given her over the past three months as she struggled with money, her health and supporting her teenage daughter.
The woman is also suffering from a cancerous tumour that forced her to move from full-time to part-time work. Due to working fewer hours, she has been struggling to afford her €650 a month rent and put food on the table.
“It’s the best place to come. I found the help here to bring the food for my daughter. I don’t have money to go buy food,” she said.